Installation Methods – Wood Flooring

Wood flooringis a stunning addition to your home, it offers a host of character and warmth to any room that it is installed in, but it can be very confusing – especially when it comes to installation. There are a few different methods that can be used for installing wood floors, many of them may be new to you but in this post we’re going to explain the methods of installation to give you a bit of an insight to them and hopefully help you reach a decision as to which one may suit the floor you’re hoping to lay.

Click Method

Click floors are typically found in solid and engineered wood, although they do appear in laminate floors too. With a click floor the planks simply ‘click’ together – would you believe it? The click then allows the planks to lock into place without the need for any further joining methods like glue or screws. This method has seen a huge increase in popularity with people actively seeking it out as oppose to other joining methods due to the ease of using it. The great thing about click flooring is that because it’s so simple to install it can save you a ton of time which as a result will help you get your new flooring finished as quickly as possible.

Tongue & Groove

This is the most common installation method for solid and engineered floors, what it means is that each individual board has a ‘tongue’ on one side and an indented groove on the other, this allows each board to fit easily with the board next to it. Tongue and groove products tend to be more cost-effective than their click method counterparts, purely because this is more of a classic way to install wood flooring. There are 3 common fitting methods that are used alongside tongue and groove products, they are:

. Floating floor – This is where the boards are fitted together, laid on top of the underlay and each joint is glued together to prevent the boards from moving. So why is this called a floating floor? Well because the wood itself isn’t actually glued down to the underlay and only to the joints it is seen as ‘floating’.

. Glued down – This method is commonly used if the subfloor is made from concrete, or a solid material. As the name suggests, the wood flooring is glued down to the surface below to prevent the floor from moving under any heavy foot traffic.

. Nailed down – The third and final method is when the floor is nailed down to the subfloor. This is done using a ‘secret nail’ technique because who’d want nails all over their lovely new wood floor? The nails are hidden because they are placed at a 45 degree angle to the grooved, which means they aren’t visible from above. Again this is another good method for keeping the floor in place in case of extra foot traffic.

But Up

One of the lesser known methods of installation, this is predominantly used for vinyl floors. What it means is that each tile is glued down, however it’s really important to consider your dimensions and measure as accurately as possible to guarantee that each vinyl tile is straight and aligned properly with your subfloor. Once the tiles are glued down they will not lift and will be able to withstand heavy traffic and impact which makes it an ideal floor for busy homes or even commercial properties. The great thing about this method and the type of floor itself is that when the time does come to replace it, another vinyl tile can be laid pretty much straight on top of the old one!

If you are stuck with which method of installation to choose, remember you can always talk to the manufacturer of the floor themselves or contact the retailer that you purchased the floor form who should be happy to provide you with any further information. Most of the methods above are suitable for DIY projects, if you fancy yourself for the job of course!